Hello

31 March 2015

Here's how it works: The Recent Releases chart brings together critical reaction to new albums from more than 50 sources worldwide. It's updated daily. Albums qualify with 5 reviews, and drop out after 6 weeks into the longer timespan charts.

10.0 |
Scotland on Sunday

9.2 |
The AU Review

Whilst fans of his previous records may not be instantly enraptured with Hawley’s new style, Standing at the Sky’s Edge is an impressive record and one which will surely feature in many best of lists come the end of the year
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8.0 |
The Independent

8.0 |
The Irish Times

This album will confound many who thought they had Hawley pegged, but for those of us who always knew the scope of his talent, this is just the latest stage in his journey to becoming Sheffield’s greatest musical export
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8.041018

8.0 |
Evening Standard

Play this as loud as the neighbours allow and let it surge
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8.040534

8.0 |
BBC

The sound of Hawley cutting loose, and clearly enjoying it
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8.040535

8.0 |
Mojo

His craftsman's melodiousness adds balm and balance. Print edition only

8.045225

8.0 |
All Music

By employing hard-rocking, sometimes spacey psychedelia (gloriously) to express the anger he feels as he watches the hard-won gains of history being damaged and destroyed in unsavory ways, Hawley creates an essential listen
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8.041049

8.0 |
DIY

This darker style suits that tone of voice which settles down in the pit of your stomach and sits tight long after the album ends. Another triumph
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8.041052

8.0 |
The Arts Desk

It feels more angsty than angry, hinting at troubled reflections on mortality
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8.041076

8.0 |
The Scotsman

This is a kick-ass riposte to the dark devastation of the brilliant Truelove’s Gutter, but it’s more broad than deep
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8.0 |
Rave Magazine

7.0 |
FasterLouder

A big slice of rock but it knows when to pull its punches and for the most part is a balanced and rewarding listen
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7.045679

7.0 |
Under The Radar

Hawley is finally giving his session-player chops a chance to transform his music, and it'll be hard to imagine putting a lid on them after this, or that anyone would want him to
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7.040532

7.0 |
music OMH

It's great to hear Richard Hawley expanding his horizons and there's a lot to enjoy in this album. If some of the sound could be better defined, and the special effects shaken on with a slightly lighter hand, it would be more coherent and ultimately more impressive
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7.040614

7.0 |
Uncut

The more Richard Hawley changes, evidently, the more he stays the same.
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6.040536

6.0 |
Q

The songwriting lags behind the riffs. Print edition only

6.041038

6.0 |
Independent on Sunday

Hawley does psychedelic rock with more style, elegance and panache than most. None of which answers the question: why would he want to?
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6.041046

6.0 |
The Observer

Hawley's grasp of psychedelia is probably closer to the (latterday) Verve's than it is to, say, Animal Collective's
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6.041918

6.0 |
Loud And Quiet

As the album wears on, the shock fades, the excitement dissipates, and the crooner returns for three or four over-long, slightly ponderous songs
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5.143463

5.1 |
Pitchfork

For the most part, it's an unwelcome return to a less distinguished period in Hawley's career, back before he knew how to make more beguiling music than this
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4.040901

4.0 |
The Skinny

Quite why he would choose to bury his finest attribute – his voice – behind a wall of guitars is mystifying
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